Sankalpam and its meaning

We are always curious to know the meaning of the Sankalpam that we take before the start of a pooja or a ritual. Firstly, we need to know the Hindu Cosmic cycle.

1 Mahayuga = Sum of 4 Yugas(Krita, Treta, Dwapara and Kali) = 4,320,000 years. 

1000 such mahayugas comprise a day-time of Brahma also known as a Kalpa.
 

The kalpa is ruled by 14 manus in succession.
 

The reigning period of a manu is onemanvantara which is 71.42 mahayugas.

There is an equivalent night-time of 4,320,000,000 years. The day-night of Brahma together constitutes one Brahma day (8.64 billion years). 360 Brahma days constitute a Brahma year while 360 years represent the lifetime of Brahma which is the life of the cosmos. Doing this simple calculation gives the age of the cosmos to be 311 trillion years.

Carl Sagan, the noted scientist says in relation to this, ""The Hindu religion is the only one of the world's great faiths dedicated to the idea that the Cosmos itself undergoes an immense, indeed an infinite, number of deaths and rebirths. It is the only religion in which the time scales correspond, to those of modern scientific cosmology. Its cycles run from our ordinary day and night to a day and night of Brahma, 8.64 billion years long. Longer than the age of the Earth or the Sun and about half the time since the Big Bang. And there are much longer timescales still."

We are presently in the Sveta-Varaha kalpa in the reigning period of Vaivaswatha - the 7th manu. In this manvantara we are in the 28th mahayuga. As per our Cosmology, Brahma is supposed to have completed 50 Brahma years and is in his51st year. That is why he is called "Parardha-dvaya-jivin"(ie) he lives for two parardhas. A parardha is half.    Two halves make one. He is called so as he has completed one half of his tenure.

Sixty plus and still keep Going,...... Wisdom worth listening to:

Don't worry about what will happen after you are gone, because when you return to dust, you will feel nothing about praises or criticisms.

Don't worry too much about your children for children will have their own destiny and find their own way. Don't be your children's slave
Don't expect too much from your children. Caring children, though caring, would be too busy with their jobs and commitments to render any help.

Uncaring children may fight over your assets even when you are still alive, and wish for your early demise so they can inherit your properties.
Your children take for granted that they are rightful heirs to your wealth; but you have no claims to their money.

60-year olds like you, dont trade in your health for wealth anymore………….

Because your money may not be able to buy your health………

 

When to stop making money, and how much is enough (hundred thousands, million, ten million)?
Out of thousand hectares of good farm land, you can only consume three quarts (of rice) daily;

 

out of a thousand of mansions, you only need eight square meters of space to rest at night.
So as long as you have enough food and enough money to spend, that is good enough. So you should live happily.

 

Every family has its own problems. Just do not compare with others for fame and social status and see whose children are doing better, etc. but challenge others for happiness, health and longevity………….

 

Don't worry about things that you can't change because it does'nt help and it may spoil your health.
You have to create your own well-being and find your own happiness;

As long as you are in good mood, think about happy things, do happy things daily and have fun in doing, then you will pass your time happily every day.
One day passes, you will lose one day;…One day passes with happiness, and then you gain one day.
In good spirit, sickness will cure; in happy spirit, sickness will cure fast; in good and happy spirit; sickness will never come.

With good mood, suitable amount of exercise, always in the sun, variety of foods, reasonable amount of vitamin and mineral intake, hopefully you will live another 20 or 30 years of healthy life.

Above all learn to cherish the goodness around ……and FRIENDS……..they all make you feel young and "wanted"…without them you are surely to feel lost!!